It seems I'm on a yearly cadence writing blogs, coinciding with my annual anniversary trip. I guess it's the travel that inspires me to write, or the time away from the stresses of everyday life. I'm not sure the exact reason, but here it goes...

We just returned from an amazing, adventurous, and unpredictable two week trip throughout Mexico. We had planned to stay in five cities and six Airbnbs along the way. As soon as we got to the airport on a Wednesday night, we discovered flooding in Mexico City from a recent tropical storm would prevent us from even flying there. So, after hours in the airport we went home with our tails between our legs. Fast forward 24 hours, we were on our flight and headed to Puerto Escondido! Home to two famous surf breaks, first things first was to head to the beach...

Z i c a t e l a

Only a month prior, they held a big wave surfing contest about a mile up the coast at what the locals call "the Pipeline of Mexico". Needless to say this break isn't for the casual swimmer or beginner surfer.

We were lucky enough to partner with Airbnb on this trip, who supported us by giving us some really rad places to stay in. Our favorite by far, had to be a place simply called casa tiny.

This place was a dream. Secluded in the thick jungly desert dunes near the water, it feels like you're a world away from anything else. And we kind of were. Just concrete and wood. Simply designed but so beautiful. Cándida and I had the most fun there because it was just us two, no one else, no wifi, nothing to distract us or keep us connected to anything but the present around us. It was inspiring to live that simply, so much so that we wrote down a (pretty long) list of things we planned to get rid of, donate, or sell when we got home (something that I promise we're working on now that we're home).

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M e x i c o C i t y

Our next stop on the trip was Mexico City, or what some refer to as simply el d'effe or Mexico. What a change from remote isolation and ocean to one of the biggest cities in the world in one hour-long flight! Mexico City was full of surprises. Nestled at 7,000 feet, this city feels more like Denver in the spring than Miami. It was cool, even cold, and cloudy and rainy. We stayed in Condesa, a neighborhood characterized by a mixture between Brooklyn and New Orleans. Lined with old three story brownstone homes behind thick greenery and tropical trees, the winding streets could be wandered for days. It was next to another amazing neighborhood called Roma Norte, full of hip restaurants, shops, and most importantly Churros.

We had the opportunity to do a cooking experience at Casa Jacaranda, where we learned about the traditional ways of making Maize for tamales, sopes, and other delicious Mexican foods. And fish tacos. And salsas. We came away from the day stuffed, but inspired to cook more at home.

Frida Kahlo's residence in Mexico City.

Cándida's favorite: San Cristobal horse stables.

Teotihuacan with the local pup.

To see all the places we went on this trip, check out my wife's beautiful Instagram @candida. Till next time, Mexico!